Leadership
Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.
Leadership
Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.
Introduction
Meet Our Owners
Hal Baumchen | PSYD, LP, LADC
President, Clinical Director, and Co-Occurring Disorders Specialist
Dr. Hal Baumchen is a psychologist, author, and speaker. He is the President and Clinical Director of NorthStar Regional. A Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LP) with over 30 years (30,000+ hours) of counseling experience, he was also the founder and executive director of Northland Counseling Services. He received his master’s Degree from Wheaton Graduate School and his Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) and received his certificate in Co-Occurring Disorders from Adler Graduate School. He is the author of Journeys, a co-occurring disorders resource manual, Destinations, a practical guide for overcoming addictions and improving your mental health, the Destinations Companion Workbook, and he coauthored Finding Hope Again: Overcoming Depression with Dr. Neil T. Anderson. He is the author and founder of Journey to Recovery, a resource site with materials for the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Thomas Winegarden | MD
Medical Director and Addiction Medicine Specialist
Dr. Thomas Winegarden is a Board Certified Adult and Addictions Psychiatrist. He received his degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School and is the current Medical Director of Bridges at Stone Creek, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) located in Chanhassen, MN. Dr. Winegarden has served at Hazelden Treatment Center, Center City, MN since 1994 and serves as staff psychiatrist at Fairview Southdale Hospital. His clinical interests include bipolar, depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder, and addictions in adults.
Jason Vanderscoff | LADC
Chief Executive Officer
Jason is the CEO of NorthStar Regional and was formerly the CEO of Five Stars Recovery Center. He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). His responsibilities include overall strategy, program development, financial oversight and provider contracting. Jason has also served as the CEO of CD Recovery Services, DRS Acquisitions, and Cx Technology Services. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Introduction
Meet Our Management Team
Brian Loots | LADC
Chief Operations Officer
Steven Winegarden
Chief Operating Officer
Steven Winegarden came to NorthStar Regional in July 2020 at the invitation of the ownership group. His background includes 21 years in the US Air Force flying the venerable B-52 and FB-111 bombers and serving on the headquarters staff of the Strategic Air Command. He also lead the Future Concepts and Target Allocation Teams and developed employment strategies for the B-1 and B-2 Stealth bombers. A highlight included briefing General Colin Powell, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also attended three Professional Military Leadership schools and earned an MBA in Management. Steve’s final tour was Commander, AFROTC Detachment 410 at the University of St. Thomas.
Coming soon
Director of Marketing
Coming Soon
Tim Bode
Director of Technology
Tim is responsible for the development and oversight of NorthStar Regional’s technology systems. He was previously director of operations for Northland Counseling Services, and worked as a marketing director at The Araz Group in Bloomington, MN and Concordia University in St. Paul, MN. Tim is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Yvonne Gennrich
Director of Financial Operations
Yvonne brings a wide range of experience to her position at NorthStar Regional. She previously served as the Finance Manager at Northland Counseling Services, where she was instrumental in the merging of operations between that organization and NorthStar Regional. She was the Controller at Cook County North Shore Hospital & Care Center in Grand Marais, MN, for 15 years, where she was responsible for all financial operations.
Brian Loots | LADC
Maple Grove Senior Director
Brian Loots is the senior program director at NorthStar Regional’s Maple Grove location. Brian has over 15 years of experience in designing effective programs for treating co-occurring disorders. Brian has worked in the treatment field at Five Stars Recovery Center, NUWAY, Volunteers of America, Hazelden, and Fairview Health Servcies. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, and has studied at Hamline University in their Master of Arts program in Nonprofit Management.
Jamie Cox | MSW, LICSW
Chanhassen Clinical Supervisor
Jamie Cox, a Licensed Independant Clinical Social Worker who earned his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is NSR’s Mental Health Clinical Supervisor. The first 16 years of his career were dedicated to working with adolescents and their families in an Intensive Outpatient Patient (IOP) setting for co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. Jamie’s specialization in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) supports his passion and expertise in working with individuals who have experienced trauma.
Jessica Hart | LADC
Women’s Residential Program Director
Jessica Hart is the director of NorthStar Regional’s Women’s Residential Treatment Center in Chaska, MN. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Argosy University, she began working in the recovery field as a technician with Pride Institute in 2014, and has also served at The Haven in Shakopee, MN, at NSR’s Chanhassen Co-occurring Disorder program and at our Sugar Creek campus. She believes in fostering a supportive environment to help clients feel safe in order to build a good therapeutic alliance.
John McGinnis | LADC
Sugar Creek Campus Program Director
John McGinnis, the director at NSR’s Sugar Creek campus in Chaska, has been working in the chemical dependency field for 25 years. His treatment experience includes work with adults and adolescents at Fountain Centers, Addiction Recovery Technologies, and Village Ranch. John was previously admissions director for Five Stars Recovery Center and for NorthStar Regional.
Rich Smith | MA
Men’s Residential Program Director
Coming soon
Lea Atkinson | MA, LADC, LPCC
Men’s Otsego Program Director
Lea Atkinson is the director at the Men’s Residential Treatment Center in Shakopee. Lea is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). She has experience working in my different, diverse environments, having served in both mental health and co-occurring programs. Lea believes in continuous improvement balanced by compassion and empathy to help those in need. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis.
